Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:<\/p>\n
* Pennsylvania Gov. [tag]Ed Rendell[\/tag] (D) recently spent some of his huge campaign war chest on a TV advertising blitz, which appears to be paying off in a big way. A new Quinnipiac poll<\/a> shows Rendell leading former football player [tag]Lynn Swann[\/tag] (R), 55% to 33%. Rendell’s approval ratings are now up to 55%, up from 46% in early April.<\/p>\n * Businessman [tag]Richard Tarrant[\/tag] (R) has already spent more on his Senate campaign in Vermont than any candidate in state history — Election Day is six months away — but it doesn’t seem to be helping much. A new poll conducted for WCAX shows Rep. [tag]Bernie Sanders[\/tag] (I) leading Tarrant, 61% to 24%<\/a>.<\/p>\n * Missouri’s back-and-forth Senate race has swung back towards the incumbent. A new Rasmussen poll<\/a> shows Sen. [tag]Jim Talent[\/tag] (R) leading State Auditor [tag]Claire McCaskill[\/tag] (D), 43% to 40%. As Rasmussen noted, it’s the “sixth time in seven polls that Talent and McCaskill have been within three percentage points of each other.”<\/p>\n * Arkansas Attorney General [tag]Mike Beebe[\/tag] (D) continues to look very strong in the state’s gubernatorial race, leading former Rep. [tag]Asa Hutchinson[\/tag] (R), 49% to 38, in a new Rasmussen poll<\/a>. The margin is similar to a poll taken last month in which Beebe led, 47% to 36%.<\/p>\n